Band 5.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 5.0 · Cambridge IELTS 20 · 2026-11-04

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The first table below shows changes in the total population of New York City from 1800 to 2000. The second and third tables show changes in the population of the five districts of the city (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island) over the same period.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 5.0)

The study of gradually change in population of a countary is significant to estimate the variation of population with years. In 1800, the population of New York city was 79,216 that with tha passage of time it increased to 3,437,202 in one century and become more than double in 21ist century.

For precise estimation of the increase in population of the whole city is divided into five main districts. The second table shows that the population of Manhattan district was 76% of the total number of figures of New York city in 1800, 54% in 1900, which shows that the Manhattan was most populated area as compare to other 4 districs.

The shocking change in figure was observed for four districts Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island contain the 81% of the population. it means at that the people of New York preffered to settle in these four districts not in Manhattan.

The population growth rate of the specific area is very reliable to manage the food and other facilitation.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.0

You identify the broad rise in New York City’s population and the shift in population share away from Manhattan, which are relevant main features. However, the summary is only partial: it gives no figure for the city in 2000, does not report Manhattan’s actual population decline after 1900, and omits the other districts’ growth from 18,701 to 6,471,089. The statement that the city’s population “become more than double” is inaccurate: it more than doubled between 1900 and 2000, but the comparison is not made clear. The claim that residents preferred the other districts is an unsupported explanation, not information shown by the tables. Select the key figures and describe the changes directly, with a clear overview.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.0

The response has a basic paragraph structure: it introduces the overall population, then discusses Manhattan and the other districts. This gives the reader some sense of organisation. However, progression is limited because the figures are not consistently compared across all three years, and the final sentence about managing food and facilities is disconnected from the table summary. Linking phrases such as “with the passage of time” and “which shows” are used, but some connections are unclear; for example, “The shocking change in figure” does not specify which change is being contrasted. Organise the response around an overview followed by a clear comparison of 1800, 1900 and 2000, and use references that make each comparison explicit.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.5

You attempt some topic-related vocabulary, including “population growth rate,” “total,” and “districts,” and the main subject is generally understandable. However, the range is limited and several word choices or collocations are inaccurate or awkward, such as “study of gradually change,” “total number of figures,” “shocking change in figure,” and “other facilitation.” Spelling errors, including “countary,” “tha,” “districs,” and “preffered,” also reduce accuracy. Aim for precise, neutral language suited to describing data rather than evaluative wording such as “shocking.” Practise collocations such as “population share,” “accounted for,” and “rose to,” and check spelling and word forms carefully.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

You attempt to combine ideas in longer sentences, for example by using “which shows,” and you include some simple sentence patterns. However, complex sentences are often faulty, and frequent errors make parts of the response difficult to follow. In “the population … was 79,216 that … it increased,” the clauses are not joined correctly; “which shows that the Manhattan was…” also has an unclear grammatical structure. Verb forms and agreement are inconsistent, as in “it increased … and become,” while the sentence beginning “The shocking change…” shifts into “contain” and then “it means.” Use shorter, controlled sentences first, and check clause boundaries, tense consistency, articles and subject–verb agreement before attempting longer comparisons.

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